


What Puts the "Fun" in "Fun Dead"?

by Flamebearrel



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate last names, And some actually have speaking lines, Fun Dead, Gen, I also tried to angst but I don't know if it worked that well, I also tried to tie in some meta concepts, If y'all are Mark fans or Fun Dead fans and would like some juicy content come HERE, In chapter five Tom is really annoying, JONBIE AND DEADUARDO, Just let Mark read his novel guys, Like some of them are donators that I liked the designs of, No OCs, Please enjoy!, Some of the background characters are actually based off the show's background characters!, The Snogre, There's an alternate ending because my friends inspired me to make it, but enough about that, if someone gets zombified does it count as major character death, no ships, yeah that's all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-19 21:19:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11321958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamebearrel/pseuds/Flamebearrel
Summary: What started out with a simple shopping trip on a snow day ends up with the latest zombie apocalypse. Unfortunately, Mark doesn't realize until he's right in the middle of it.Oh, well. Looks like no one else has noticed, either. He'll just have to give them a few reminders.





	1. I

Mark hated the cold.

Whenever a snow day came along during winter, he would cuddle up inside the house and refuse to leave. Unfortunately for him,  _ that _ day just happened to be a snow day as well.

He’d wanted to stay inside, curled up with a good romance novel by the fireplace, but his housemates just wouldn't allow it. Soon enough, the couch was dragged outside, Mark still on it, so that he had no choice but to step into the chilling snow covering the ground.

“Don't you dare go back inside,” Eduardo warned him. “We’re just going to bring you out over and over again until you stay.”

“Please, Mark!” Jon was insisting on it too. “We’ll let you do something,  _ anything _ , as long as you don't hide in the house all day again! Come play in the snow with us!”

Mark simply laughed, suppressing a shiver. “Alright, fine. You want me to stay out of the house? I can do that.” 

Of course, being as clever as he was, the tall blond quickly found a loophole. He would go out… to run some errands. And to do that, he’d have to go  _ inside _ other buildings. It was a foolproof plan.

Grabbing his trenchcoat, hat and mittens from the clothing rack just past the front door, along with a pair of wool-lined boots, he announced his plan to his housemates. The response he got was two pouty faces staring up at him.

Mark frowned. He hated seeing them disappointed like that. Eventually he sighed, defeated. “Alright, alright, stop doing that. I promise that when I come back, I'll play with you.”

That aroused a cheer from Jon. Even Eduardo smiled a little as he replied, “Okay, I guess that sounds good- now go! Get it done already.”

So the man with the butt-chin set off to the shopping area, romance novel in hand. As usual, it didn’t take long before he was completely immersed in the book. Mark had completed his errands enough times in the past that he knew exactly where to go, so he simply walked through with his eyes glued to the pages. No one did anything out of line, and no big changes occurred to mess up his reading, and he was fine with that.

At one point in his travels did he feel a strange energy wash over him. They were commonly referred to as “episodes,” where levels of action rose drastically and unnatural occurrences became more common. Mark was rarely involved in them at all, though, so he simply ignored the force, and eventually it passed on.

Finally he made it to his last stop, the grocery store. Grabbing what was usual for the trip there - fruits, vegetables, a keg of diet cola for Eduardo - the blond got in line at the checkout.

He ignored the fact that the line was unusually short.

Muttering a “thank you” to the cashier as he picked up his bags, Mark turned to leave, until he was suddenly stopped by an unexpected response.

“Uh, sir? I… I wouldn't suggest going out there.”

Mark slowly turned back to face the cashier. “What do you mean,” he questioned.

The man at the counter adjusted his glasses nervously. “Well, there have been reports of… certain  _ things _ going around, like a… a sickness, you could say. Believe me, you really don't wanna catch it.”

“If it's some kind of common cold virus, I'm sure I'll be fine. Colds are nothing permanent; there’s no need to worry.”

“No, really,” the man insisted. “It isn't some regular virus. Anything but that; it seriously turns you into a-”

“ _ Thank you, _ ” Mark interrupted, “but I’ve made a promise to my housemates that I’d play with them and I intend to keep it.” And with that, he left the shop.

Surely the man was crazy, Mark thought to himself. Even if he wasn't, he probably found it entertaining to give his customers paranoia. What a sadist.

But something really did feel off when he stepped back outside. 

It wasn't big, just a slight disturbance caused by the lack of idle chatter in the area. Yet it was just enough to be off-putting.

Likewise, it made Mark uncomfortable, being forced to listen to the sound of silence in a place where chitchat was so common, but he just continued to walk along and shut out the world using the pages of his book. Until, of course, he was distracted again.

“Ouch!” Mark hissed the word, stepping away from the bench he had just hit his foot on. He could've sworn that wasn't in that exact spot the last time he walked past it. In fact, he was  _ sure _ it used to be a few inches to the left… the slight displacement of the bench bothered him. The blond decided it wouldn't hurt to spend a moment maneuvering it back into the correct position before he went back to his patient housemates.

Unfortunately, with the combined factors of the bench’s weight and slippery surface, Mark’s weak arms, and the grocery bags he was occupied with, moving it turned out to be a tedious task. Several minutes passed with little luck, until Mark contemplated just leaving it be and heading home.

But then, he suddenly heard a groan from behind him.

“Ah, you’re annoyed by this bench too,” Mark sighed, honestly relieved to hear another voice besides his own. He turned to face the newcomer. “I'm glad to see I'm not the only one… would you mind helping me move it back into-”

As soon as he saw it, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Mark was standing face-to-face with a zombie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That cashier is actually a character, though there's barely any description and the character only appeared for like three seconds-
> 
> I'm really enjoying writing this! I'll try my best to keep going!


	2. II

At first, he didn't know how to react. Then, as soon as he realized, Mark staggered backwards. Fear filled his eyes as he added up the clues presented. The green-tinted skin, the ripped and dirty clothing, the soulless eyes containing nothing but bloodlust and endless hunger- there was no doubt that the creature in front of him was a zombie.

A small voice in the back of his mind told him,  _ You should have listened to the cashier, you shouldn’t have taken his word for granted if it meant walking into a death trap _ \- but Mark pushed the thought away.  _ No, no,  _ he insisted to himself.  _ I have to keep myself in the present or I’ll never make it out of- _

The zombie lunged at him suddenly, interrupting his train of thought, and Mark frantically dived to the side. Thinking fast, the blond picked out a random can of beans from his grocery bags and hurled it at the beast’s head. It ricocheted off the creature’s face, giving its cheek a dent that oozed with the fluids of the undead.

Mark, disgusted, climbed onto the park bench. His on-the-spot plan was to make it to the far side of it, then run as far as possible while the zombie was distracted with its can. It wasn't the best plan by far, but it would work for him. All he had to do was make it to the edge of the park bench…

But no, he just had to slip on the melting ice covering the bench seat. He just  _ had _ to fall down and hit his head on the concrete sidewalk.

Pain bombarded him as he made contact with the hard surface. He sat in place for a moment, dazed, fingers feeling the back of his skull for any damage. Sure enough, a bump was starting to form where he had hit it. Perfect.

He hated the snow for causing all of it, for sending him out all day in the first place, for having him make that silly promise to Eduardo and Jon-

_ Eduardo and Jon _ .

A sudden determination filled him. What were the chances that they weren’t okay? Mark needed to get back to the house as soon as possible, to warn them and to make sure he wasn't too late.

The zombie was practically on top of him when he looked up. Shooting out his leg, the young man kicked it in the knee and sent it toppling. He took this as a chance to take off.

They were everywhere, he noticed, now that he was paying attention. Mark was forced to duck and weave through the masses whenever they neared. A few of the zombies turned to follow the tall blond as he passed, but he just hoped he could outrun them and they'd give up.

Finally, he made it back to the front yard. There was no sign of his housemates outside… Surely that was a good thing, right?

His fingers grazed the door’s handle, and that familiar wave of energy washed over him. Another episode. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Mark opened the door and stepped inside.

After pulling his shoes off, the turtleneck-wearing man began to search the house. Where could his housemates be? Thinking logically, they would secure themselves in a bunker… but Mark doubted that they were actually  _ thinking logically _ .

The silence was deafening here, even more so than it had been outside. It was getting on Mark’s nerves. Out of agitation he began to shout out, “Jonathan? Eduardo?! Hel-loooooo?!” But then he stopped himself.

What was he  _ doing _ ? Insane things like that were what got people killed, in horror movies at the very least. Though he told himself it was just to see if they'd recognize his voice, he knew it was only really something to break the silence.

Sighing, he slid down to sit on the kitchen floor. A part of him wanted to call out again, to make something happen, yet he decided against it.

Soon, however, something  _ did _ happen.

Just as Mark had the nerve to pull out his book again, a low growl sounded from the other end of the kitchen. Mark looked up, hoping for the best yet expecting the worst.

It was Eduardo! But… no, it was too late. His previously energetic emerald eyes were now glazed over and his skin was quickly turning that sickly greenish shade.

Mark shoved his book into the grocery bag and stood. “Duardy…” He took a step back. “Before you get any bright ideas, let's talk about this-”

There was a repulsive crunch under his foot, and the blond looked down.

A finger?

Oh, how disgusting! Mark jumped away, gagging. But before he could say anything he noticed its owner.

Zombified Jon stood there, blocking the other entrance. And if there was a Jonbie on one side and Eduardo on the other, that meant he was trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally gonna keep referring to Jon as "Jonbie"
> 
> I kind of wanna call Eduardo "Deaduardo" but that's kind of weird-


	3. III

Mark froze, eyes flicking from side to side, studying every move of his two zombified housemates. Slowly, warily, he picked up the bags settled on the floor. He settled them on his arms. And then he grabbed the nearest weapon, which unfortunately happened to be the finger still laying on the ground.

Resisting the urge to throw it as far as possible, he instead pointed it towards the Jonbie. The blond tried to steady his shaking hands as he threatened, “This is  _ your _ finger, Jonathan. I'm not lying when I say if you come any closer, I’ll… I’ll break it…?”

Yet Jon extended an arm towards him, and Mark did nothing but flinch, waiting for the worst.

Silence. The young man carefully opened his eyes to find the Jonbie sliding the finger out of his grasp and placing it in its spot on his right hand. It somehow managed to stay in place, even making a satisfying little ‘pop’ as it clicked.

_ Well, that was… anticlimactic, _ Mark thought to himself.  _ But I suppose it’s better than attacking me, at least- _

That was when he felt Eduardo’s breath on the back of his neck.

Mark instinctively hurtled forward as his housemate lunged at him. Still looking for something to grab, Deaduardo (could Mark even call him that, or was it too weird a nickname?) settled on the blond’s coat collar. Before he could escape, Mark found himself being pulled back by Eduardo’s hungry hands. 

Panic filled his mind in that moment as he struggled against what used to be his housemate. Then an idea occurred.

He abruptly slipped out of his coat, sending Eduardo toppling backwards. Then he tossed his beanie in Jon’s face. If only for a second, he had an opportunity to make a run for it. So he did.

He had to get away! Somewhere the zombies couldn't reach was a preferable place… Mark decided the fenced-off backyard would be acceptable for a few minutes. He darted down the hall, grabbing at the door handle to Eduardo’s room. It wouldn't be that hard to escape from there, right?

But no, Eduardo’s door was locked tight, as usual. The butt-chin man fumbled for the set of keys in his pocket and frantically began to look for the right one. There wasn't much time before the others arrived, he had to hurry-

Footsteps sounded as he searched, getting louder and faster by the moment until they stopped behind him. Slowly, Mark turned his head. And sure enough, there they were, at the opposite and only open end of the hallway.

Was it over? Mark questioned himself as he backed into the wall, cornered. There was nowhere to run, and not only that, but he was running out of things to throw. Desperately he grabbed another can from his bags and held it up, never looking away from them.

Yet when he held it over his head, they seemed to stop.

Slowly, as he lowered the can, Mark watched Deaduardo’s eyes follow it down almost longingly. What was so interesting about this can? He looked at it. It was a can of diet cola.

The blond resisted the urge to laugh at that point. Even as a zombie, Eduardo  _ still _ couldn't stifle his addiction to cola! Did this mean he was sentient? Mark decided it wouldn't hurt to try.

“Do you... want this,” he began, waving it around a bit more to see if his friend was still following it. The dark-haired zombie didn't nod, but Mark knew his answer was yes. It flew down the hallway after Mark threw it, leaving Eduardo in hot pursuit.

With one housemate successfully distracted, Mark turned his attention to the Jonbie. How could he distract him…? Suddenly an idea popped into his head. 

Jon’s ukulele.

It was lucky that all their rooms were in relatively the same area. Sticking his arm through the doorway to his friend’s room, he seized the instrument and held it up, pulling the Jonbie’s attention towards it. The glimmer of worry in his blue-clad buddy’s eyes was enough to reassure Mark it was working when he flung the ukulele down the hallway. 

Jon hurtled after the tiny tropical guitar, making a desperate attempt to catch it. His fingers successfully grasped the neck of it- before he crashed into Eduardo.

There was an awkward moment of shuffling as the two zombified men scrambled to their feet. Then Deaduardo, who apparently still had the same amount of temper control as usual, started yelling at Jon in some strange undead language.

As bad as he felt for his friend in that moment, Mark knew it was his chance to get away. Within a few minutes he had crawled out the window of Eduardo’s room and was making his way down the neighborhood alleyways, only stopping to rest when he found an unoccupied one.

That was when it sunk in.

His closest friends, possibly his  _ only _ ones, were now undead beasts that weren’t interested in anything but the consumption of flesh. No longer could he talk to them, laugh with them, be with them at all. And not only that, but it was likely every single person he knew was left for dead as well. 

There was no denying it. He was alone.

Mark leaned back against the wall, overwhelmed with sudden emotion. What was the point of anything anymore if there was no one to share it with? He considered just going up to the nearest zombie and ending it already, but a part of him wished he could talk to someone, anyone, just one more time…

Suddenly a car veered up out of nowhere and rolled past him, sending a spray of blood all over his turtleneck. Oh, and it was his favorite one too… now he felt even more miserable-

Wait. He recognized that car, that plate number, the people inside it- those were Edd, Matt and Tom! And judging by their carelessly happy faces, they had no idea what was going on, which meant they were surely going to be killed.

Those three might be the only people he knew left. And if they died? Well, Mark wasn't about to let that happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long haha-  
> I couldn't figure out how to write it-  
> I asked one of my beta readers for advice on how to start it, and this is what they told me to put:
> 
> "once upon a time  
> Jonbie was eating snow  
> Dead-uardo was a rawr-do  
> mark was a cold boy who just wants to be a warm boy with a book
> 
> zombies
> 
> the end"


	4. IV

“Easy” was not the word Mark would use to describe his trip. If it weren’t for the fact that his neighbors were simply cruising along at such a casual speed, and for the fact that they were blasting a snazzy tune out of their opened windows, he surely would have been lost. Still, it was hard to match pace with a car. When he found a poor man being pinned by a zombie horde, he went straight for the man’s unlocked truck. Mark insisted to himself that it was already too late for the guy as he drove off.

He motored along carefully, staying far enough away from the car he followed so as not to cause suspicion. The last thing Mark wanted to do was freak Edd and his friends out. They didn't seem to notice him at all, which was good, he supposed.

Finally he saw their car slow, turning into a vast parking lot. He stopped his own car nearby. Then, taking a step out, Mark took a look at the towering sign above his head. It read “ASDFLand.” 

Mark recognized the name after a moment as the title of an amusement park. Why were they here, of all places? He stared at it in wonder long enough to find that when he turned back around, the neighbors he was following had already went inside.

The blond sighed and went after them. After grabbing a few handfuls of tickets from a broken ticket machine and shuffling past the zombie in the booth nearby, the young man finally stepped through the front gates and took a look at the amusement park before him. 

The first thing he noticed was that it was huge.

Rollercoasters and sky drops and carousels burst into life as people rushed onto their docks. Caricature booths and obviously rigged games littered the area as well. There were bursts of eccentric color in the air as swirls of carnival confections were placed in the hands of little ones all around.

Mark almost squealed in delight before he remembered what he had come to do. He scanned the crowd. It was clearly smaller than what was usual for the park, but still, plenty of people were there. Between the vast amount of area to search and the crowds of unaware civilians, it would be difficult to find his neighbors. Not to mention that he could pick out several zombies out there- it wouldn't be long before his friends were toast. He had to hurry.

A young woman with raven-tinted hair and a golden cat hairband was the first person he asked. “Excuse me, miss,” Mark began. 

Turning to him, she lowered her candy floss and cringed slightly at the sight of his bloodied turtleneck. “Uh… are you okay? I don't think that much blood out of a single person is normal.”

“Oh don't worry, it’s not mine-” He stopped when she cowered back even more. That made him sound suspicious, didn't it? Immediately he explained, “Er- I didn't kill anyone, honest. It's just… I hate to ruin your fun but another zombie apocalypse has just begun.”

“A-are you sure? That would explain the… bodily fluids you're completely soaked in, but- there hasn't been one in years! How do you expect me to believe-”

Suddenly an ear-piercing scream hit the air as a person nearby was bitten. The crowds abruptly shuffled backwards as he writhed on the floor. Mark flinched, knowing that the man was already on his way to the undead world and feeling extremely helpless about it.

The dark-haired woman nodded. “Okay. Yeah. Maybe you're right. We should get out of here.”

“ _ You _ need to do that,” Mark replied, “but I can't, yet. Have you seen three men wearing different colored hoodies? Two brunettes and a ginger?”

“No, sorry… good luck finding them though…!” The woman waved and hurried off, to where he hoped would be a safe place for her.

After asking several other people the same thing, Mark decided his method was too grueling to carry on with. He needed to find a new plan… a  _ fast _ plan… but how could he see them when the world at his eye level was crowded and bustling and impossible to see through?

Wait… eye  _ level. _ Obviously he had to get to higher ground in order to find them! And he knew how to do just that. The drop tower. Immediately he made off for it, glancing at his map from time to time for reference.

Soon he slowed down to take a look at the towering thrill ride in front of him. To him it felt a million meters high. Mark shook his head, fighting off the nerve-wracking feeling inside of him, and got in line. 

Within a few minutes he was offered a seat. The blond took the offer and went to sit down. Mark buckled his grocery bags in next to him, knowing no one would want to sit next to a man soaked in ambiguous blood. Besides, the ride operator didn't seem to care very much. “Just move along,” the man droned before starting the ride.

Up up up, the gondola went, before screeching to a halt at the top of the world. The butt-chin man took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and looked over the crowd.

Immediately a flash of green and brown went past the corner of his eye. Yes, Mark could see Edd, having the time of his life on the rollercoasters. He flicked his eyes toward a different corner and quickly noticed Tom, walking towards the arcade. And… yep, there was the woman he had talked to earlier, who was heading for her car. Matt was nowhere in sight, leaving Mark to hope that his friend had just gone to a different area of the park.

Mark considered his options. Going to Edd first wouldn't work, the rollercoaster lines were always way too long. There was no point in finding the woman again, and looking for Matt without any clue where he was would be too difficult. That left Tom. Yes… Tom would probably be the one who could keep his head and help him out the most. Now with a destination seared into his mind, Mark closed his eyes and waited for the ride to rush him back to the world he knew.

Nothing happened. He waited some more. Still nothing. Frowning, the blond glanced down to find what was causing all the holdup.

A zombie was practically on top of the operator when he looked. Not in the mood for drama, Mark simply grabbed another can from his bags and tossed it at them. It hit the zombie in the back of the head and sent the undead creature careening into the controls. 

Suddenly the ride rushed downwards without warning. Admittedly, Mark screamed a little, but as soon it stopped he recovered. He lifted up the safety bar, grabbed his bags, and left, but before he could walk through the arcade’s doors a grunt sounded behind him. He turned.

Zombies were everywhere. He could've sworn the amount of them was smaller just a half hour ago… 

If they were multiplying this fast then he was running out of time. 

Mark pivoted again and ran into the arcade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one isn't that good- but the next one will have Fun Dead Kid, so that's great :)
> 
> And yeah, the lady he talks to is Coco (a recurring background character that you can find out more on the wiki)
> 
> If any of these chapters make you start shipping Mark with anybody, that's usually unintentional but do what you wanna do-


	5. V

Beeps and boops and little clicks filled the building with their insistent noise- but not even the 8-bit ditties could rid the arcade of its empty feeling. Mark strained his ears for any noise that could indicate life. Yet, there was nothing. The blond began to wonder whether going inside was a good idea or not. He seriously contemplated just giving up and going somewhere else when he was stopped by the sudden flash of almond hair and navy clothing in his peripheral vision.

Mark glanced down the hallway and quickly noticed his neighbor ahead of him. “Thomas,” he cried out, without response. The butt-chin man watched as Tom moved from game to game, acting like an excited toddler who had just gotten the coolest new toy. After seeing such a joyful reaction, Mark just couldn't help but smile a bit. He decided it wouldn't hurt to let his neighbor play, if only for a moment.

But what was meant to be a moment turned into a minute, then an hour, of nothing but watching his neighbor shout and laugh and play. Finally, when the second hour was threatening to approach, Mark snapped back to the present.  _ I don't have time for this _ , he thought, grabbing his bags. There was a moment of shuffling- and then he looked up, and Tom was gone again.

He groaned. “Oh,  _ come on _ .” Annoyance started to creep up inside him as he darted off for another search. Within another few minutes, Mark spotted Tom absorbed in yet another arcade game. 

As the blond stepped up, he got his first glance at this part of the arcade.

The game Tom was playing- apparently called “Bang, Boom, Splat!”- was the biggest game in the room. There was a little boy intently watching the brunette play, but other than that, Mark didn't see any other creatures. Well, until his boot snagged on a piece of cloth, and he looked down.

A young dark-haired man lay unconscious, a thick pool of blood surrounding him. With a wince, Mark lurched backwards. What was strange was that usually he'd want to help anyone hurt that badly, yet… he felt nothing but reproach towards this man. It felt as if he could blame the whole apocalypse on him. He willed himself to stop. It wasn't right, but… Mark couldn't help but study the man for a few more moments before turning back to his neighbor.

Yet, almost immediately after he called, “Tom!”, the walls were suddenly pounded down. The blond shrieked in surprise, terrified of the incoming zombie horde. Uncertainly he turned to Tom. All he needed was for his neighbor to take a few steps back so he could grab his arm and take off…

And taking a few steps back was exactly what Tom did. “Oh no,” the eyeless man uttered, watching helplessly as the zombies closed in. Mark just had to reach a  _ little _ closer-

“This arcade gun isn't working!”

Mark stopped, stunned. Was that really what he was concerned about? Apparently several of the zombies felt the same way, judging by the way they suddenly slowed. Tom didn't seem to notice, though; he just bent down, picked up a gun and started firing away, a cheerful smile on his face. 

Within a few moments, several groups of zombies were piled on the floor. Mark, Tom and the little boy all stood in awkward silence. Then the eyeless man grunted, “Eh, this game blows… all yours, kid.” And Tom handed him the gun, walking off through the hole in the wall, muttering something about the graphics as he did.

Mark noticed that the next zombie wave seemed to completely ignore the guy, instead targeting the kid with the gun. Yet he didn't seem scared in the slightest. The young boy adjusted his hat and narrowed his eyes. He adjusted his finger on the trigger. And just when the horde of the undead was almost upon them, he fired.

Flinching away from the gunshots, Mark shut his eyes and waited for the telltale scream of a bitten victim. But it didn't happen. He chanced a look back- and when he did, the zombies were gone- before he was grabbed by the grocery bag on his arm and pulled away. 

The little boy rushed through the maze of halls, Mark dragging close behind in confusion. Eventually they slowed and hid behind a cluster of racing games. After a moment filled with nothing but heavy breathing, the butt-chin man turned to his young companion and gave into the urge to speak.

“Why did you do that?” he asked.

The kid took a giant lollipop out of his mouth and glanced down at it. “You mean me saving you? Well, hehe, besides the fact you scream every time there's a zombie around, at least you know they  _ exist.  _ That’s a pretty big piece to staying alive… so why not help you out?”

Putting a hand to his chin, Mark replied, “Thank you… now that I think about it, how did you know how to use that gun so effortlessly?”

“Dad taught me a thing or two…” The kid took a glance around the corner and immediately snapped back into place. “Don't have much time,” he whispered, “I've gotta… Sir! That eyeless man was your friend, right?”

“Tom? Yes, but why-”

“Mister, the zombies out there are multiplying like mad. There's barely anyone left. If you don't hurry your friend is gonna be done for!”

Mark inhaled sharply. “Oh my word, you have a point… but what about you? I can't just leave you here.”

Almost defensively the boy replied, “I can manage myself, sir, but what's important is that you've gotta go! I'll hold them off for you-”

“Wait, wait! Can I at least have your name?”

The boy hesitated.

“It's… Charlie, I guess.”

With a slight smile, Mark shook the boy’s hand. “Marcus Benedict Redemim, at your service.” The blond got to his feet and suddenly noticed the empty prize counter nearby. “You're right, I should probably go… but one more thing. Charlie?”

“Hm?”

Mark grabbed a baseball bat over the counter and grinned once more.

“Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, look what's finally out! This story isn't dead just yet-
> 
> I call this chapter the "Tom being infuriating" chapter
> 
> And I got the name "Charlie" from a friend on one of my social media accounts


	6. VI

The harsh rays of the sun as it sank dappled the rooftops of each booth and ride. Mark squinted against the light, looking instead for the telltale signs of his neighbors’ existence. Yet all he saw were waves upon waves of zombies, undead mobs chasing out the remains of his fellow humans. 

He needed a plan. Sure, he had a weapon now, but that wasn't an excuse to charge forward with a battle cry. Attracting that much attention was surely a death wish… on the other hand, he had no idea how successful sneaking around would be. But there was at least a bit of a higher chance. He'd go with that.

Still as a stagnant statue he stood, watching the zombies’ mannerisms until he could copy them in a convincing-enough way. Mark slackened his muscles and his jaw slightly in an attempt to imitate the mindless abominations around him.  _ This is no time to be self-conscious _ , he told himself and pushed away the feeling of embarrassment, before slowly shuffling towards the zombie mobs.

Apparently his attempt was working, as the monsters completely ignored his presence. The blond quietly slipped into the green-skinned masses. He walked steadily behind them as they noticed every other foreigner and began to feed. Flinching, Mark backed away from any human that was felled nearby.

But he couldn't keep away from the voices he suddenly heard. “Tom…” There was Edd. “Do you get the feeling that something… strange… is happening?”

Mark strained to look over the crowds at his neighbors. 

“Nnnno.” Tom bit into a stick of candy floss, which looked more like a zombie brain from the blond’s perspective. What disgusted Mark the most was the fact the eyeless man didn’t seem to care.

Whatever, that didn’t matter. Slowly, he shuffled forward an inch, seeing Matt mutter something too quiet to hear. They kept conversing as he slunk, closer, closer, until he had almost made it through the undead crowds.

_ Almost _ . Before he could react from his final surge forward he found himself crashing into another one of the monsters. The turtleneck-wearing man leaped backwards, an odd sense of deja vu building in him as the dazed zombie whirled to glare. A step was taken, and another, and Mark felt himself lock in place as the creature loomed above-

“VAMPIRES,” Edd suddenly screamed, causing everyone to glance at him in confusion. He blinked. “Oh no wait... ZOMBIES!”

The three of them backed into each other, anxious, watching the mobs close in. And they weren’t the only ones; Mark could only give a sigh of relief as his attacker changed focus before he had to snap into character again. He shuffled away from it, and was about to move forward when-

The sudden explosion of what looked like a cymbal-playing monkey sounded nearby. Embers bit at his fingers as he cringed back. The young man stole a glance at the location it came from and could only see two angry dark eyes searing holes through the flames.

He couldn’t get through that way. He’d have to find another. Which was a good idea, because more zombies were catching on and staggering closer. Mark took a step, then another, and rushed to the east.

In looking for another route instead of right in front of him, Mark tripped on the edge of the carousel ride and fell on. The nearby zombies followed suit. Exhaustion was beginning to fill the blond’s lungs, but he dashed 180 degrees around the ride’s loop and clambered onto a horse anyway. 

Still, the monsters were practically lapping at his heels. Mark stood up straight on the pony’s saddle. Unable to get safely down, he leaped onto the next one, and the next one, digging his nails into the poles attached. After just barely getting his footing on the fourth horse, he suddenly remembered his weapon. 

The man with the butt-chin yanked the bat from his grocery bags (that had somehow stayed with him through it all) and jumped down from the horse. Immediately he began clearing a path through the mobs by frantically swinging around the sports equipment. One after the other, the zombies were felled. Mark dashed away as soon as the last undead barrier was knocked down. 

Even when he tripped on the carousel yet again he didn’t dare to stop. There wasn’t a reason to. All he cared about was finally ending the wild goose chase and getting to his friends. But where were they  _ now _ ?!

For a while, the blond just continued searching. He thought he saw them on the Ferris wheel, but by the time he got there they were gone. The same happened at the game booths. Angrily he shouted, “ _ Let me find you already! _ ”

And then he did.

They suddenly bolted past him, and without a second thought, Mark followed. Zombies swarmed. In fact, the area became so thick with the undead that the tall blond had to crane his neck in order to see his friends at all. 

He managed to catch a glance of them being pinned against the wall of a ride. With a final surge, Mark shoved past the zombies and towards them, finally ready to end it, so close,  _ so close _ -

But there was a scream.

It was a anguished, bone-chilling scream, like the sudden rumble of thunder or a lone wolf howl cutting through the night. 

Then, silence. Mark fell to his knees.

There was no denying who’s scream that was.

_ It’s over, _ Mark thought.

_ That’s it. _

_ They’re gone. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOO LOOK THIS ISN’T DEAD
> 
> I am so sorry for the delay, everyone! I took a month break from this to finish my first full animatic, which you can watch here if you’re interested- https://youtu.be/_S7TZjR1rps
> 
> I’m not giving up on this, though! The angst only begins here... there’s gonna be a LOT more in chapter 7! Enjoy~


	7. VII

He didn’t know how long he was in there. In fact, Mark didn’t know how he got there at all. The only thing he knew was that he had somehow wormed his way into an unoccupied storage room, gotten down on the floor and was now lying in a puddle of his own utter grief.

All his anguish had drained away a while ago, leaving him with nothing but a melancholy acceptance of the truth. Apparently all his efforts weren’t enough. Now the last people he cared about were gone. 

That was it. Mark stood up and limped toward the exit, thinking,  _ Might as well stick my head into a zombie’s mouth and tell him, “Bon appétit.” _

But before he could even reach the door's handle a voice sounded just outside. “Hey, Mister Marcus? That you in there?”

“Charlie?” Mark opened the door just enough to peep out. “How did you find me?”

“I could hear your sobbing loud and clear, sir.” 

Face flushing a little, the blond allowed his young friend inside. Charlie continued, “Did you find your friends yet? I think I know a way out.”

Curiosity peaked in him for a moment, but Mark quickly lost it with the reminder of his neighbors. “No, I think-... I think you should go on without me,” he muttered.

“And why would I do that?”

“I... don’t really see a point, not anymore. They’re- they’re gone.”

Hesitation. Then Charlie responded, “I know it feels bad, but that can’t stop you. Stay in the present.  _ You _ can still stay alive.”

Mark stared at him. 

With an awkward cough, the young brunette questioned, “Why’re you giving me that look?”

“You really don’t get it, do you?” He turned abruptly, a sarcastic laugh filling his throat. “Saying all that? Trying to make me just shrug it off like losing the only people I know isn’t a big deal?”

“N-no, I-”

“That is  _ not _ how it works, Charles! You can’t just- just  _ expect _ me to be alright about this-”

“And  _ YOU _ can’t just say that I don’t know how it feels!  _ YOU _ don’t know about what happened in that arcade!” 

The turtlenecked man stopped, slowly turning to face the younger boy. “What happened in-”

“My mom...”

“...Oh.”

There was silence, before Mark ventured, “I’m so sorry.”

Charlie looked away. “Nevermind. I just don’t... Do you want to come, or not?”

“...Okay.” With a slow nod, Mark grabbed his bags and his bat and followed Charlie out the door.

Immediately several zombies staggered towards them. Charlie shot them with perfect precision and Mark followed, swinging his bat to clear the remains. The two dashed into a clearing.

In swarms the mobs came, intent on reaching their prey. Mark could feel his heart pounding as he gripped his weapon. “Charlie,” he shouted, “wh- what’s your plan?”

“You know that dead guy from the arcade?” The brunette gunned down two more zombies and kicked the one behind him in the stomach. 

“Yeah?”

“Well I’ve seen other people around in the same uniform. And that symbol on those uniforms? They’re from the Red Army.”

Mark went in for a full swing towards several more of the mobs. “The… what? I don’t believe I’ve heard of them.”

“The Red Army. My, uh, my dad works there.” More gunshots, more bat swings, more zombies felled. The two of them ran past a kids’ ride. “And from what I’ve seen, they’re probably gonna come back and scout for survivors.”

“So you’re saying… they could help us?”

“Yeah! All we need is-”

“To get them to notice us! Would getting some of those uniforms possibly do the trick?”

Charlie grinned. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

They immediately made way for the arcade. Once they got inside, the two young men stripped the bloodied cloak away from its owner Mark had seen before. There was another one, too, one with especially bold eyebrows that didn’t seem to care much when they stole his cloak and took off with it.

Buttoning one of the coats on himself, Mark quietly peered out the door. His smaller friend soon followed him.

“The rollercoasters,” the blond mouthed, “need to get somewhere they can see us…”

And to the rollercoasters they went. Charlie fired with perfect precision at the zombies as they weaved through the lines. 

One mob, missing most of its nose, lurched toward them. It was killed with a swift shot to the head, but not before Charlie noticed his remaining ammo. “We’ve gotta hurry, Mark! Only got a few shots left-”

“That doesn’t matter now! I can hear the helicopter!”

Finally they stumbled the rollercoaster’s loading dock. It was to their luck for once that the chopper was just flying over. “HEY,” the two screamed, frantically waving their hands. 

The chopper stopped, hovering in midair, until a man with slick black hair was lowered down on a ladder. “Wait a second,” he muttered as he neared, “I don’t recognize you two-”

“Just let us on!” Mark dropped his bat and rushed over, Charlie in hot pursuit. “If we have to join your army, so be it, just  _ let. Us. On. _ ”

Slowly the raven-haired man nodded, stepping to the side and helping Charlie on. Mark was about to follow when something in the back of his mind urged him to stop.

He was leaving his friends behind. For good. Without anything but a few moments of grievance. Would they want him to do that?

Of course they would, right?

It didn’t matter anyways, because he suddenly felt a sharp pain explode from his upper arm. Mark turned around, hope draining from him like blood from a fresh wound.

And sure enough, a zombie was hanging off his arm.

They were suddenly everywhere, piling on him for their feast, and he barely heard Charlie’s scream before he fell and everything faded to an inky, lifeless black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey, we’re almost to the end! Uhh, I know I’m not the best writer, but did I succeed in making this chapter pretty angsty? ;)
> 
> There’s one more chapter, don’t worry! It’s gonna tie in to the mechanics of the show, just like the “episodes” do. Keep an eye out for that!
> 
> And yeah, that guy from the helicopter is the background character Yanov.~


	8. VIII

“Um, hello?”

“Is he going to wake up?”

“He better. We’d be wasting a lotta time and effort otherwise.”

The familiar voices were the first things Mark managed to make out. Besides his throbbing body, of course. His arm and his head ached like mad, like facing the consequences of breaking open a beehive. But he didn’t want to think about bee stings or crazy pain or probably being dead just then. Slowly, hesitantly, if only to get rid of his own scattered thoughts, the blond’s eyes fluttered open.

He was immediately greeted with a firm, powerful squeeze.

Mark yelped as he felt the death grip grow tighter, tighter, and he was _choking_ , and this was his punishment, he had abandoned his friends and now he was going to suffer forever at the hands of a furious ginger-haired spirit-

_Wait, a ginger-haired spirit?_

Staggering back from the hug, the man with the butt chin took a moment to study the newcomer. He recognized him immediately.

“Matt,” Mark breathed. And not only him… yes, he could see Tom’s secretive eyes and Edd’s cola-stained hoodie behind the ginger.

“I’m so glad you’re alright, chap! Of course, it would have been a bit better if you hadn’t screamed directly into my ear.”

“I-I…”

Edd pushed past with an offer to help his neighbor up. “How are you feeling...?” Mark accepted the cola-lover’s hand after a moment, taking the chance to look around.

There were still rides, games, and booths in every possible direction. This was still the amusement park. Everything was still the same, besides the fact that it was day again and that episode feeling was finally gone. Which meant that he was still alive.

And if he was still alive…

“Wait,” the tall blond replied to Edd, “I saw you. I saw you _die_. How are you here?”

“What? Don’t remember dying… I remember everyone freaking out, before we managed to block out the mobs, if that helps.” Confusion written all over his face, the stocky young man walked Mark towards a bench. He motioned to the gauze and medical kit lying nearby. “Just stay here for a while, alright? Get yourself cleaned up. Now, I’ve got more people to work on.”

Edd took one more comforting glance at his neighbor, before heading back to the other two, and Mark suddenly realized what they were talking about.

A tent, a _huge_ one, seemed to be shuffling and wriggling in the center of the clearing. The three men he had been so worried about stood just nearby.

Suddenly, a gloved Matt reached under the tent and started dragging out one of the green-skinned mobs. Tom restrained it, brute force pinning it to the ground with ease, before Edd made his move. Hands on its shoulders. A small flash of light. And the zombie changed.

It was only after two, no, three more rounds of this that it clicked. It _clicked_ , and Mark remembered. Long ago, after each episode, Edd could heal those who had passed during them. How he did, no one knew, but his ability to revive his friends and neighbors made him quite the popular guy. They had always joked, saying the world went around him, calling it “Eddsworld”... The power had seemed to disappear after the trio returned from their space trip, but now…

Edd could still heal the zombies?

Dropping the gauze and disinfectant, Mark dashed toward the three Brits. He pushed past the blond Canadian that had just been rescued and whispered to them, “You revived them. Oh my word. You actually did it.”

“Um, yes,” Matt replied, “we did.”

“Then… I cannot stress this enough. We need to go back home, _now_.” Staring at their baffled expressions, the fatigued Brit continued, “This isn’t the only place that reeks of zombies, you know! Eduardo, Jon, the _whole neighborhood_ is infected, and if we just leave them uncontained…”

They stared for another moment, and then, the four of them rushed to the car. Within minutes - and one last check to make sure ASDFLand’s mobs wouldn’t be going anywhere - they were off.

Mark beckoned to them as they exited their vehicle. Watching his neighbors rescue several zombies and take them to safety in their household, he took the chance to move towards his own. He was in front of the yard in a second, but felt himself slow down as he reached the door.

He ignored his trembling hand as it grazed the handle - telling himself it was just because of the falling temperature - and went to pull it back.

Nothing. The butt-chin man sighed in relief, beckoning to his friends. They were there in an instant.

In Mark walked, trying to ignore the bloody trenchcoat and beanie on the floor. He was about to turn past a corner when the sound of shuffling filled his ears, and he pressed himself against the wall, waiting for something to happen.

“Oh, sorry,” Matt said as he stepped up. “Just me.”

The blond let himself relax again for a few moments. “It’s fine, it’s fine.” Letting himself know his constant switches between relief and anticipation weren’t any help, he moved around the corner.

And Jon was there.

Shrieking, Mark pulled back, and Tom rushed up to straddle the zombified man. Then Edd burst in. With a skid, he ran straight into the fray. He slipped between the two in blue and pressed his hands to the Jonbie’s shoulders, Tom stepping out of the way.

Mark was about to jump in and help when another yelp sounded behind him. He whipped around. Cast under Deaduardo’s shadow, Matt desperately tried to escape his neighbor’s grasp. Mark rushed over, fingers trembling, and grabbed the brunette from behind. The three of them fell almost immediately, but Matt sprang to his feet just as fast. “EDD,” Mark heard Tom yell from behind, but the blond ignored it, focusing his attention on the hostile Eduardo looming above him.

For a deathly moment, no one moved, and Mark could hear nothing but his heart drilling into his chest. But then Edd leaped out of nowhere and rammed into Eduardo. Both brunettes tumbled off him, and Edd, seizing his moment, began to heal.

“...I think… we’re safe.” Slowly, slowly, Mark exhaled. He rubbed his sore arm and turned to Jon, who was now sitting compliantly with Tom and Matt as they patched him up.

His no-longer-zombified roommate seemed exceedingly confused as he arrived. “M-Mark? What happened? Last I checked, me and Eduardo were waiting outside for you and some weird barrel fell out of the sky…”

“It was another zombie apocalypse,” Mark began, “but it’s dying down now, thanks to Edward and his friends. Are you alright?”

“Yeah… where’s Duardy?”

“He’s right here,” Edd butt in, helping his dizzy neighbor up. “Mark, you think you can explain to these two what’s going on? We’ve gotta get back out there.”

As Mark nodded, Tom glanced out a nearby window, staring at the little flecks of white pouring down. “Looks like it’s snowing again. Let’s go, guys.” The three of them waved, Matt and Edd grinning, and immediately rushed out to fight some more.

“...Okay, what was all _that_ supposed to be?” The first thing Eduardo wanted to do when he woke up was complain, as usual, but Mark ignored it. He stared out the window at the falling snow and sighed. Oh, how he hated the cold! But… there was one thing he hated _more_ than the cold, and that was zombies. And he knew that he’d never want to see them again after today, and he knew he’d have to do _something_ to make that happen.

So he pulled his roommates into a hug. A really long, _really good_ hug. Then he went out to the shed and pulled out a shovel, an axe, and a bat. He smiled at that bat - it seemed familiar. And he went back in, still with that smile, handing the other weapons to his friends and asking, “Who’s ready to fight some zombies?”

And they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness guys!!! It’s complete!!! Honestly I’ve been under a lot of stress lately but I managed to finish it on a six hour road trip! Ahh, I’m so glad!!!
> 
> Since I have another idea for this, I might be writing an alternate ending sometime soon... ‘,:) But otherwise, thank you so much for reading my fanfiction!!!


	9. Alternate Ending

“Um, hello?”

“Is he going to wake up?”

“He better. We’d be wasting a lotta time and effort otherwise.”

The voices were the first things Mark managed to make out. Besides his throbbing body, of course. His arm and his head ached like mad, like facing the consequences of breaking open a beehive. But he didn’t want to think about bee stings or crazy pain or probably being dead just then. Slowly, hesitantly, if only to get rid of his own scattered thoughts, the blond’s eyes fluttered open.

He was immediately greeted with a firm, powerful squeeze.

“Wh-” Something hit him suddenly. He remembered everything, and with that knowledge came full-blown panic.

This was it. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. This was his fate, now, to be constricted and ripped apart, slowly killed and resurrected just to do it again, forever and an eternity after that, because he had left all his friends,  _ again _ , and he had ruined it all, he had ruined it, he had ruined it...

The blond cried out in a desperate attempt to get out of his own brain.  _ I ruined it.  _ He jerked out of the death grip and scooted backwards.  _ I ruined everything!  _ His back slammed into some smooth wall. Finally breaking, he sobbed. “EVERYONE IS  _ DEAD _ BECAUSE OF ME!”

A hand touched his shoulder.

“Mark.” Was that…? “Mark, it’s okay.”

The man with the butt-chin scrubbed at his eyes. “Charlie…?”

It really was him, sitting on the edge of the bed by the blond. “What you said… it’s not true. I’m not dead.  _ You’re _ not dead.”

“What do you mean, I’m not dead? I was bitten. I left you behind like I left all the others. It’s over.”

There was a moment’s hesitation, then Charlie patted his shoulder. With a shake of his head, the younger boy explained, “We brought you with us. These guys, they wanted to try something on you, and…”

“Guess it worked,” came one of the other voices. Mark looked up. Several soldiers stood to the side, two of them heavily bandaged, and a fourth member holding a thermometer sat closer. “You don’t  _ look _ like you’re having the best day, but physically, I think you’re alright. How are you feeling?”

“I… I’m okay, I suppose.” Calming down, Mark studied the hospital bed under his fingers. In the corner of his eye, he could see Charlie wanted to say something, but never got the chance because in that moment, the door creaked open.

Someone stepped in, causing the soldiers in the room to immediately salute and step back. Silence filled the room for a few moments… Then it was broken as the newcomer’s voice rang out in approval.

“The serum worked? Oh, that’s perfect!” The man walked forward, grinning, and Mark could pick up the words “Red Leader” plastered on his name tag. 

_ Red Leader…? _ All Mark could do was stare as the man in red walked up. Something about his face and voice seemed familiar, but the blond couldn’t pinpoint anything. It didn’t matter anyway. Everyone else in the room was beckoned away and Mark only caught a glimpse of Charlie mouthing “meet me in the food court when you can” before he was left alone with the red man.

There was silence. Mark tugged at his hospital gown as it festered. Then he was greeted with a chilling comment. “You know, I remember you,” said Red Leader.

“What?”

“We shared classes for quite a while. And even after that, you wound up on Durdam Lane as one of Edd’s neighbors. Mark, right?”

The blond felt a chill go up his spine as his name was spoken. “H-how did you…”

“I take note of a lot of things.” Red Leader smiled. “I’m going to assume you’ve read the name tag already. You know what to call me out there… but.” Mark felt his lips lock shut as his new superior leaned in. “From acquaintance to acquaintance…”

The words were barely at a whisper when they entered Mark’s ear.

“I hope you remember the name  _ Tord Loresin.” _

Letting that sink in, Tord stepped back again. “Rest for a while. Then we’ll get you settled in, with some new gear!” His grin grew wider as he shook the blond’s hand. “You’re not going to regret joining, my friend! Believe me when I say, the world will be  _ so very _ excited to see you with us! So…”

Mark was speechless as the Red Leader stopped at the doorway, giving him one final wink.

“Welcome to the Red Army.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought I was done with this? Well HA... now I am :>
> 
> Anyway the guesses some of my friends made about the newcomers back when chapter eight was in progress inspired me to write this alternate ending! Obviously the real one is the other one because it’s supposed to be more based off canon events, but this was a fun little thing to do~~
> 
> The last names were changed to still be recognizable, but also noticeably different-  
> Edd Gould -> Edd Gold  
> Tom Ridgewell -> Tom Ragewill  
> Matt Hargreaves -> Matt Heartgrieve  
> Tord Larsson -> Tord Loresin
> 
> Thank you so, so much for reading! <3


End file.
